Amnesty International Nigeria has called on the Plateau State Government to reconsider its decision to discontinue the prosecution of a man accused of sexually abusing a four-year-old girl, questioning why the case was terminated despite a reported court warrant for his arrest.
The organisation has urged Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang to intervene, arguing that the allegations should be determined through a judicial process rather than abandoned before the court reaches a decision.
According to SaharaReporters, the state Ministry of Justice discontinued the case in May 2026 after proceedings had begun at the Plateau State High Court in Jos. The report said the defendant had repeatedly failed to appear in court, leading to the issuance of a bench warrant for his arrest.
Amnesty International Nigeria’s Country Director, Isa Sanusi, questioned the justification for withdrawing the prosecution while the arrest warrant reportedly remained unexecuted. Speaking at a press conference in Jos, he called on the governor to review the decision and asked the state Attorney-General to explain the reasons for discontinuing the proceedings.
The organisation also raised concerns about the implications of the decision for the implementation of the Plateau State Child Rights Law, 2005, and the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Law, 2022. It maintained that the defendant should have the opportunity to answer the allegations in court and that the child’s access to justice should remain a priority.
SaharaReporters further reported that Amnesty’s Programme Manager, Barbara Magaji, said the organisation had written to the state Attorney-General and petitioned the governor over the withdrawal but had yet to receive a response from Mutfwang. She said Amnesty authorised its lawyers to prosecute the case after they met with the child and her family.
Stella Samuel, a lawyer involved in the prosecution, said witnesses and evidence had been prepared before the case was discontinued. She maintained that the prosecution could still be pursued and urged the state government to allow the proceedings to continue.
Meanwhile, Jacob Pwakim, secretary of the Let The Case Proceed Campaign, said the decision had disappointed residents who wanted the allegations resolved in court. He said the campaign was established to push for the reinstatement of the prosecution, describing the matter as significant to child protection and public confidence in the justice system.
Amnesty International Nigeria and the campaign are urging the Plateau State Government to reconsider the withdrawal and allow the court to determine the allegations against the defendant. The organisation has also called for an explanation of the decision, given the reported failure to execute the bench warrant before the prosecution was discontinued.
